Filed False Crime Reports, Whittier Official Confesses : Politics: Newly elected council member gives up his seat after the disclosure. He says he wanted more police protection for his family after threats.

A newly elected Whittier City Council member gave up his seat Tuesday night after admitting he filed three false police reports, including one alleging that an attacker stabbed him.

Larry Haendiges, who owns a local plumbing company, said he made up stories about two attacks on him and a prowler outside his home to get police protection for his family after receiving three phone threats.

“What I did was wrong, but what I did, I did out of the passion of fear,” said Haendiges before a hushed overflow crowd of 250 in the council chamber. “I was afraid for my life and the life of my family.”

The district attorney’s office Monday charged Haendiges, 50, with three misdemeanor counts of filing a false report. If convicted of all charges, Haendiges faces up to 18 months in jail and a $3,000 fine, Deputy Dist. Atty. Carmen Rugnetta said.

Haendiges was among three candidates elected to the City Council last week in one of the most hotly contested municipal elections in recent years. He was scheduled to be sworn in Tuesday night.

As late as Tuesday afternoon, campaign workers said Haendiges was undecided about whether to take office.

Speculation about Haendiges’ intentions circulated wildly through town after news of the false reports leaked Tuesday.

In the first false report, called in April 6, Haendiges claimed that a Toyota pickup tried to ram his car as he was driving north along a residential street. According to the report, Haendiges provided a partial license plate number as well as other convincing details.

Three days later, Haendiges reported seeing a prowler peering into his house from the back porch as his family got ready for bed.

Haendiges called police again three days later from his office. He reported that an attacker had stabbed him. The fictional attacker, whom Haendiges described in some detail, allegedly told him, “This is war. You’re gonna die.”

Haendiges said he filed the reports in order to get more police protection for himself and his family. In fact, police increased security at candidate forums and kept tabs on the Haendiges family. Haendiges admitted the fabrications after flunking a polygraph test administered by suspicious investigators.

Police believe that three earlier phone threats against Haendiges from March 31 to April 4 were genuine. Police think some of the threats may have come in response to his campaign but the matter is under investigation.

Two of the calls threatened Haendiges’ life. In the other incident, the caller told Haendiges that a bomb had been placed at his son’s school. One of the apparently legitimate threats was left on Haendiges’ answering machine. Haendiges personally took the other two calls.

Whittier police said that a suspect admitted making one of the calls. The district attorney has so far declined to press charges. Police would not release the suspect’s name, but describe her as a 48-year-old longtime city resident who dislikes Haendiges’ opinion on local issues.

Officials and business leaders expressed shock at Haendiges’ admission.

“I know Larry as a family man,” said Lane Langford, president of a local merchants association. “He cares for his family deeply, and what he did came from that place in his heart. I can think of no other person in Whittier who has given more of his time, effort, money and general goodwill to the betterment of this community.”

Haendiges said he did not file the reports to get publicity, and that he specifically instructed aides not to speak of the alleged attacks.

Haendiges, a father of four, is a former president of the Chamber of Commerce and served on the boards of numerous local charities as well as seven years on the city Planning Commission.

“He lives at City Hall, goes to every meeting, every function,” council member Helen McKenna-Rahder said. “This is his life’s dream and he had a clear shot at it. And then he spoils it all by himself. No one took Larry down. Larry took Larry down.”